Steering mechanism



X Patented Feb. 8.1921.

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f1 1., E H@ w h 9 5 ,1 2M nk 4 W V/'ILLIAM J. BOYER, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

STEERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application led August 14, 1919. Serial No. 317,438.

To all 'whom t may conceive:

Be it known that l, lWILLmM J. Bovina, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vilming'ton, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates generally to steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, and more particularly to an equalizing device applicable to such mechanism whereby when there is no manipulation of the steering wheel or lever actuated by the vehicle operator the front or steered wheels of tho vehicle will run true with regard to the rear or driving wheels, thus causing the vehicle to travel in a straight-ahead direction.

One of the objects oit the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction and sure of operation, and which will compensate for the breakage of any part or' the steering-gear, such for example as the tie-rod, the draglink or the steering arm, by causing` the vehicle to travel in a straighteahead direction.

Another object is to provide such a device which is applicable to mostot the standard makes of motor vehicles, both pleasure-cars and trucks, without Y alteration oi their equipment.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character of such construction that, should one or more of its parts become detached or broken. or :tor other cause inoperative, the device as a whole will not become inoperative but will continue to function as required. y

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which will greatly facilitate steering under all conditions and which will prevent shocks received by the steered. wheels from being transmitted to the operat` ing wheel or lever of the steering mechanism.

To this end, the invention consists in a number of equaliaing .springs attached tore and ait of the front axle of the vehicle and connected therewith and with the steering knuckles oi the wheels whereby a constant equalizing force will be exerted upon the wheels; and it consists further in various details of construction. and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter explained and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat` ing the invention, in the several iisures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a top plan view of the front axle and wheels of a vehicle, showing the device of' the invention applied thereto. hig. 2 is a detail perspective view, greatly enlarged, of one of the auxiliary steering arms, and its spring-attaching means, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the steering arms. Fig. 4.- is a longitudinal sectional view showing the devices for attaching thesprings to the axle. Fig. 5 is a section taken in the plane oit' line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of theparts used for at caching the springs to the steering arms. and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the hook members used in connection with the devices -for attaching` the springs to the axle.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the iront axle l is provided with the usual yokes 2 in which are pivoted on king-bolts 3 the usual steering knuckles (not shown) havingspindles en which are mounted the steered wheels l.

ln the particular arrangement here shown, l have illustrated the devicelas adapted to a Ford automobile the steering knuckles of which are provided ,with steering` arms 5 having extensions 6 seated in the steering knuckles and iirmly united therewith by means of screw-threaded spindles 7 to which nuts (not shown) are applied. The outer ends of these steering arms are connected by the usual tiered 8 to which the drag-link9 is attached. In applying my device to this type oit' automobile, I remove these nuts and substitute therefor auxiliary steering arms 10 having screw threaded sockets il in their ends. The Shanks ot these armsl() may be, and are here shown aspof hexagonal. cross-4 section to accommodate a monkey-wrench for facilitating their application, but it is obvious that such conformation is purely optional.

In this manner I provide -tore andait of the `axle extensions from the steering knuckles substantially normal to the longitudinal center-line of the axle.

To the arms l0 lf apply split collars 12 provided with suitable clamping bolts 13 whereby they lmay be positioned on the arms 10 at a suitable distance from the steering knuckles, and these collars l2 have projectine` therefrom hooks 1d to which the equalizing springs may be attached, as will presently appear.

The steering arms are also provided with spring attaching hooks 15 having id-shaped extensions 1G adapted to embrace the arms and cooperating,- with seat-blocks 17 also adapted to embrace the arms and forming seats for suitable nuts 18 applied to the screw threaded ends 19 ot' the ill-shaped extensions 16.

Substantially centrally of the axle l is applied a'pair oi brackets 2O adapted to straddle'the axle and clamped thereto by means of bottom plates 21, the downwardly extending' threaded portions 22 of the brackets v2() being provided with nuts 23 bearing against these plates. The plates 2l have depending perforated lugs 24E connected longitudinally of the axle by a double-ended bolt 25 and nuts 26 whereby, when the nuts 28 are loosened the brackets may be ad- 'Y justed with respect to each other and to the hooks 14 and 15, longitudinally of the axle.-

The brackets 20 are also provided with seats 27 having overhsinging 'lips 28 in which are loosely seated hook members 29 (see Figs.

4, 5 and 7).

The equalizing springs are attached to the hooks 14 and 15 and the hook members Q9,

. two of the springs 30 beine,l in VVfront of the :the seating" effect of the hook-members 20.

j exertingn The method oit assembling the device would seem to be obvious from the above description, but it should be said that when applying' the equalizing springs the tension ot' all should be the same and for this pur pose the collars l2 and brackets 2O may be adjusted, but the hooks should be retained in initial adjustment as near the `outer ends of the steering-arms as possible, substantially as shown in F 1g. 1, although they too are capable ot adjustment longitudinally of the arms 5.

lt will therefore be seen that the springs equal tension on the steering lmuckles both tore and att thereof, the

Wheels must necessarily travel in a straight ahead direction, and when the steering Wheel or lever is operated to turn the Wheels the reverse pull. of one set of springs, z'. e. one fore and one aft, Will counteract the excess ie'rissa tensioningl of the other set, thereby permitting` steering` as easy as it not easier than it the device were not present.

Should one member of either of the pairs of springs, or its connecting,- parts break, the companion member of said broken one would instantly fall olii' and become inoperative7 and the other pair of springs Would then continue to center the steering,- apparatus as though no such breakage had occurred. Thus it Will be seen that my dee vice acts instantly and automatically to overcome the eect of a breakage oi` any ot its parts.

lt is of course understood that l do not intend to limit my invention to the specilic embodiment shown, as it is obvious that 7vario changes in details of construction and arrangement or parts will be necessary to adapt the device to various j na kes of au tomobiles, such chances being permissible Within the spirit of the invention and the scope ol the tolloiving claims.l

1. ln a steering,` mechanism, the combination with an axle and steering knuckles mounted at the ends thereof, oit arms extending; fore and aft of said knuckles and attached thereto, spring attaching means on said arms adjustable longitudinally ther-ect', brackets mounted on and frietionally engaginfr7 said axle and adjustable lengitudinallyv thereof, hook members detachably engaging said brackets, and two sets of tension springs one fore and one aft ot' said axle and attached to said hook members and to said spring;-attacl'iing` means.

2. In a steering' mechanism, the combination with an axle having steering knuckles mounted at its ends, of arms extendiirg' from said knuckles, spring-attaching` means adjustable on said arms, brackets on said axle, seats in said brackets, hook members releasably mounted in said seats, and springs extended under tension between members and spring-attaching means.

in a spring-controlled steering; mecha-k nism, an axle provided With steering knuckles at its ends, springs connected with said knuckles and with the axle fore and ln testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in presence ottwo u'fitnesses.V

WILLIAM J. BOYER. Witnesses JACOB ENDnRs, j BLANCHE T. DnAxYNE.

said hook i 

